National Guitar Day - February 11, 2025

History of National Guitar Day

The guitar, as we know it today, has evolved over thousands of years. Early versions of guitar-like instruments were used in ancient civilizations like Babylon, Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

The word ‘guitar’ was adopted into English from the Spanish word ‘guitarra’ in the 1600s. The guitarra was an instrument that emerged in the 15th century in Spain, with a body design similar to the modern guitar but typically with four strings.

In the 14th and 15th century, a version of the guitar known as the “vihuela” became popular in Spain - it looked like a guitar but had the tuning and construction of a lute. In the 16th century, the five-course guitarre appeared in Italy, featuring five sets of double strings and a curved, ornate body shape.

In the 18th century, the six-string guitar started to replace the five-course and the modern acoustic guitar began to shape. It was in the 19th century when luthier Antonio Torres Jurado enhanced the design, creating a larger body, altered the proportions, and improved the internal bracing, essentially defining the form of the modern classical guitar.

By the 20th century, with the rise of blues and jazz music, the electrification of the guitar took place. The invention of the electric guitar opened up a new world of possibilities, giving birth to rock and roll, country, and many other genres of music we have today.